DRONES (SPECTRAL FUTURES) Read Online Free PDF Page A

the blank screen is replaced by the cityscape extending beyond the top of a high-rise building in downtown Pittsburgh.
    “Priority mission transfer. Proceed to the tenth floor through the stairwell,” orders a voice through the team’s headphones.
    Kacey shakes her head and grinds her teeth as she scans the new mission data while their new robots race through the doorway and begin jumping down whole flights one at a time; their loud and abrupt landings reverberate rhythmically throughout the stairwell. “Potential nuclear device …” she mutters to herself more than her team.
    She doesn’t notice the replacement team entering the control room, standing by watching the action on the main screen on the far wall adjacent to the operator units.
    Kacey’s robot comes to a stop by the tenth floor exit door. She reaches her hand out, guiding the robot’s hand towards the exit touch pad on the door. She glances at her team members scaling down the remaining stairs one at a time, then watches as the door begins to slide swiftly open. She glances one more time at the floor plan and steps through the doorway.
    The screen goes blank. She pulls her visor up viciously and stares at the aerial shot of the area from the satellite surveillance footage.
    Everyone in the room stays silent for a moment. The lieutenant of the replacement team speaks up first. “Lieutenant.”
    Silence.
    “Lieutenant, you’re wasting time.”
    “I’m going in again,” Kacey says angrily.
    “No, you’re not. That was your last one. You need to evacuate your team … now.”
    Kacey stares at the mushroom cloud expanding over the surrounding city blocks while her team members disengage from their operator units and step out, allowing their replacements to begin strapping in.
    The replacement lieutenant walks towards Kacey’s operator unit impatiently.
    Kacey steps out of his way while looking at the mission priority list displayed on the left-hand side of the main screen: Washington.
    She watches her team exit and hastily head towards the elevators. She then turns to the lieutenant and says, “It’s just symbolic … I mean, in Washington.”
    “Of course. There’s no one important left there.”
    “What did you just say?” says Kacey with disgust.
    “I was talking about the government.”
    “Were you?” Kacey shakes her head dismissively and turns for the door. She exits and walks down the hallway towards the elevators, noticing that her team members must already be on their way to the rooftop. She stands in front of the four elevators and stares at the up and down arrows. She touches the down arrow and waits, looking back and forth down the now empty hallway.
    She hears a mid-tone note ring out softly, spots the light flashing above elevator two, and walks casually towards it as the doors slide open.
     
    On the roof, the evacuation helicopter pilot waits impatiently for Kacey’s team members to clamber aboard, their identity tags registering in the system, which displays them on the flight manifest in front of the pilot. He notices that Kacey is still missing, waits a moment longer, then opens a communication channel to the captain. “Sir, Lieutenant Kacey Maloney is still unaccounted for. We’re behind schedule as it is.”
    In his office, the captain stands behind his desk looking out at the afternoon sun approaching the horizon. “Don’t worry about it. You head off. She can get on the next one.”
    “Certainly. Just wanted to let you know, Captain.”
    The captain nods slowly to himself and takes a sip of coffee.
     
    Kacey sits in her car staring vacantly out the side window at the streams of vehicles and roadside buildings before turning into the quiet, familiar streets of her neighbourhood. Before she realises it, her side door slides open. She steps out onto the driveway’s pavers and looks around at the plant life and the pristine, bright green lawn in the front yard while she approaches the porch.
    She quietly closes the